Switch-stand latch.



F. C. ANDERSON.` .swlTcH STAND LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 4. 191i.

Patented Jan. 15,1918.

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FRANK C. ANDERSON, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, .ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN VALVE AND METER COMPANY, OF 'CINCINNATL OHO, A. CORPORATION OF OHIO.

SWITCH-STAND LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented dan. t5, Elgin..

Application filed October 4, 1917. Serial No. 194,706.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK C. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident oi Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usei'ul Improvements in Switch- Stand Latches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to switch-stands of the low-down type in which thelever is thrown in one direction or the other parallel with the track to open or close the switch, and is held down when completely thrown in either direction by a suitable latch. i

The object of my invention is to make such switch-stands as this reliable and yet Vof simple and inexpensive construction.

My invention consists in the combination of parts and in the details of construction and arrangement of parts as will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed.

In the drawing: y

Figure 1 is a general perspective view of a switch-stand provided with latches constructed according to my invention; and

Fig. 2`is an enlarged side elevation of one oi' these latches, as I prefer to construct them.

The switch-stand comprises the casing 1 inclosing suitable well-known mechanism by which a vertical shaft 2 carrying the target 3 above and a crank 4c belowr is given a turn through a substantial angle by meansof a horizontal shaft 5 and lever 6 fixed to said shaft 5 and thrown through an angle of substantially 1800; the crank t being connected to the point-rail 7 by a connecting rod 8. These details being well-known are deemed sutliciently illustrated in the perspective view.

As is well understood, the lever 6 rests substantially horizontally in either one of the positions to which it is thrown and has a head 9 which forms a handle and also acts as a weight to hold the lever down.

This weight 9, however, is not always to be depended uponV to hold the lever 6 down, and frequently under heavy traffic, the lever 6 will be thrown over allowing the switch point-rails, such as the rail 7, to Vassume a wrong position and thereby derail one or more cars. Y Y' As is also well known, latches have been provided to hold the lever 6 in either one of its positions and which latches are usually provided with means for locking th so that unauthorized persons cannot change the position of the switch. When the latch is locked it may, of course, be relied upon to hold the lever 6 down. But it is highly desirable that such latches be so provided that they automatically open to receive the lever as it is brought down in throwing the switch and then close over it to hold it down. lt has also been found highly desirable to provide means whereby Vthe switchman may open the latch with his :toot since he frequently holds in one hand some necessary article, generally a lantern, and must use the other hand to throw the lever 6. However, an objectionable result of this provision in many latches that have lbeen produced is the possibility of accidental release of the latch when it has not been locked due to accidental striking of the treadle provided for opening the latch with the foot; as for instance. when a switchman alights from a moving car and chances to step on the treadle. `Where the lever 6 lies in the latch loosely, such accidental opening ot the latch is of no consequence; but generally the parts are so connected that when the lever G is en.- tirely down in its latch, it is holding one or the other ot' the pointrails such as the pointrail 7 very tightly against the stock-rail 10 with the thin end part of the point-rail 7 slightly bent under the strain, and, by its resiliency ready to pull the connected lever 6 out of the latch as soon as the latch is opened. The same tendency results from the strain on one `or the other point-rail caused by the cars passing thereover. It will readily be seen that in the case above instanced, the switchman alighting from a car and accidentally opening the latch by stepping on the latch treadle is very liable to cause derailment of the car from which he has just alighted and which is then passing over the rails of the switch and imposing a strain upon them which will cause the rails to move to a wrong position iii' the lever 6 is released from the latch.

l provide for guarding against such dangers as these, while at the same time not making the latch appreciably more complicated in construction, and while leaving it practically as convenient for operation under the conditions hereinbet'ore alluded to.

In the latch as l prefer to construct it, there is the housing'll, the lower part ot which has an upright slot entirely through it and through ywhich slot extends the latch bar 12 with a pivotal mounting 13 on a horizontal axis through the flanking sides of the* upper part of the front of the housing 11 be-V ing also slotted. To the rear in its upper part, the housing has the crotch'17 which receives the lever 6 down in it with the nose 18 of the hook 16 extending over the bar 6 when drawn backward by the action of the weight 14 on the latchbar 12 and hook 16. The part of -the .housing in front of the crotch 17 extends up higher than the part 19 at the rear, and this front part :has the forwardly extending ear 2O with an opening 2-1 that the hook V1-6 lies j ust rearward of when the Alatch is closed with the nose 18 lying `over the bar 6, as just described. Thus, the latch may he locked by passing 'the keeper Vof a suitable lock through the opening 21. Thelower rea-r part 1-9 has `its inner forward side inclined to permit the lever '6 to readily slide down into the crotch 17, even though the lever have some slight displacement as it approaches the latchgit being understood that such slight displacement is due to the slight amount of end-play or looseness in the bearings incident to the practical mounting of the shaft -5 of `the switch-stand.

The upper side of the nose 18 is inclined downwardly and rearwardly, so thatas the lower side :of the lever -6 strikes it, the hook 16 is forced forwardly `to admit the lever i6 to the crotch 117.; this forward movement raising the weight 14fand the weightcausing the hook 16 to bring its nose 18 back over the lever 6 .after the lever has passed below the nose. For'opening `the latch, thetreadle 15 is depressed by engagement/of the switchmans foot; raising the'weight lll and drawing `the hook 1'5 with its nose 18 'forward away :from :the top ofthe lever .6, so that the flever l6 maybe raised out of `the crotch 19. .It will be seen that any'accidental-stepping-on vthis treadle 15 will #thus `open .the latch iftherebe nothing to prevent the free forward movement ofthehoo'k 16.

As before stated-this forward movement will be prevented if thedat'ch hasfbeen locked by the padlock having its keeper passing through thefopening 21 inthe ear 20. But as is `well-known, Lthe .latch for convenience of use in switching, is oftenleft unlocked, so that1the accidental openinginthe .manner hereinbeforedescribed may occur at any time.

In 4my. improved latch, ,this .accidental opening is prevented byia downwardlyextended :lug .221.011 the rear flower Y.corner off the crotch 17 as it will when not underl strain, or when it has been pushed down by pressure on it or on its head 9, overcomlng the strain imposedA upon it 5 and the `dotted lines indicatejthe lever 6 when it is pressing up against the under-side of the nose 18 in such a manner that were the nose 18 pulled off the upper side of the lever 6, the lever would fly .up out of the crotch 17 .making possible the disastrous. results hereinbefore alluded to. A

It will be seen that with the lug 22 provided according to my invention, the nose 18 cannot slide forward .off the lever. 6 when the lever 6 is bearing up against the nose, because the lfront side of the lug 22 will engage with the-rearside vof the lever .6 near its top. It will be seen that when the lever' 6 is thus held up against the lower side of the nose 18 under any of the influences herein* before mentioned, .the only way in which the hook 16 can be pulled forward to draw its nose 18 away .from the top of the lever.6 and permit the lever 6 to be raised is to first depress the lever in the crotch 17, so that its upper :side lies below the lower end of the lug 22, whereby the hook lwith this 4lug 22 may swing freely forward across the upper side of the lever 6. Thus, `it will be seen at all times when `there would be danger of the switch flying open as a result of accidental opening of the latchasby accidental' stepping on the treadle 15, or other accident, this accidental opening-of the latch is prevented on accountof the-raised position that the lever 6 assumes under .such conditions.

iVhile accidental lopening fof the switch under these vconditions Vis very effectively guarded against, the construction 4vof the.

latch is hardly appreciably .more complicated since the `added constructional detail consists solely of this lug^22 added to-theend of the nose 18. Furthermore, the latch is practically as conveniently opened Lby the switchman using one foot and one Vhandajs is any of the latches heretofore used. All the .added operation necessary is a gslight downward pressure on the head .-9 by the hand of theswitchman while the .foot is borne on thetreadle 15; so that-assoon as theupper sideof the lever vpassesibelow the lower end of the lug-22,'the hook316 will be dra-wn forward bythe foot pressure permitting the lever 6 to then be raised out of the latch to throw the switch. In closing the switch, the action is `as entirely automatic as it is in any latch without the lug 22.; since the curved` or inclinedrlower Aand rearxsides of .the ilug 122, permit the Lnose 183320 pass nasasoe rearwardly over the upper side of the lever 6 very readily as said upper side travels downward past the nose. At the same time, the front 'side of the lug 22 being substantially straight, there is n0 danger ot the lug slipping forwardly upward and away from its engagement with the rear side of the lever 6 when the lever 6 is in its raised position as indicated by the dotted lines in Fie'. 2. Thus, it is at all times necessary to press downward upon the lever 6 as well as upon the treadle 15; and it will be readily understood that such simultaneous depressions are not liable to occur accidentally.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A switch-stand latch to hold an operative part of the switch, and comprising a member movable across said operative part to release said part for operation ot the switch, and means on said member to engage with said part and prevent the releasing movement of said member when said part lies against said member.

2. A switch-stand latch comprising receiving means to receive the switch-stand lever, a hook to swing over said lever when it is thus received, said hook and said receiving means being so positioned relative to said lever that said lever may move down in said means away from said hook or move up in said means against said hook, a mounting for said hook whereby said hook swings across said lever, and means extending down from said hook to engage with said lever when said lever is raised toward said hook whereby said hook is permitted to be withdrawn from said lever only upon pressing said lever away from said hook.

3. A switch-stand latch comprising a housing having a crotch to receive the switch-stand lever down in it, a hook comprising a nose and pivoted in said housing to swing said nose across the top of said lever as it lies in said crotch, the lower side of said nose being far enough above the bottom of said crotch to permit said lever to swing up and down in said crotch when said nose is thereover, and a lug extending down from said nose to engage with a side of said lever when said lever is raised in said crotch and prevent said hook from swinging away from 'said lever, whereby said hook is released to be swung away from said lever only upon iirst pressing said lever down from said nose.

a. A switch-stand latch comprising a housing having a crotch to receive the switch-stand lever down in it, a hook comprising a nose and pivoted in said housing to swing said nose across the top ot' said lever as it lies in said crotch, the lower side of said nose being far enough above the bottom oi' said crotch to permit said lever to swing up and down in said crotch when said nose is thereover, and a lug extending down from said nose to engage with a side of said lever when said lever is raised in said crotch and prevent said hook from swinging away from said lever, whereby said hook is released to be swung away from said lever only upon iirst pressing said lever down from said nose, the side ot' said lug engaging with said lever being substantially straight and parallel with said side ot' said lever, and the opposite side of said lug being inclined to permit said nose to readily slide over 'said lever as the lever passes down into the crotch past the nose.

5. A switch-stand latch comprising receiving means to receive the switch-stand lever, a hook to swing over said lever when it is thus received, said hook and said receiving means being so positioned relative to said lever that said lever may move down in said means away from said hook or move up in said means against said hook, a mounting torsaid hook whereby said hook swings across said lever, means extendino` down from said hook to engage with said lever when said lever is raised toward said hook whereby said hook is permitted to be withdrawn from said lever only upon pressing said lever away from said hook, and a treadle connected to said hook 'for with drawing said hook trom said lever by pressure of the toot while said lever is first depressed by one hand to permit said withn drawal, and then raised with said hand as permitted by said withdrawal.

6. A switch-stand latch comprising a housing having a crotch to receive the switchstand lever down in it, a hook comprising a nose and pivoted in said housing to swing said nose across the top of said lever as it lies in said crotch, the lower 'side of said nose being tar enough above the bottom oi said crotch to permit said lever to swing up and down in said crotch when said nose is there over, a lug extending from said nose to engage with a side of said lever when said lever is raised in 'said crotch and prevent said hook from swinging away from said lever, whereby said hook is released to be swung away trom said lever only upon first pressing said lever down from said nose, and a treadle connected to said hook for withdrawing said hook trom said lever by pressure of the foot while said lever is iirst depressed by one hand to permit said withdrawal, and then raised with said hand as permitted by said withdrawal.

FRANK C. ANDERSUN. Witnesses CLARENCE Pnnnnw, J Aims N. RAMSEY.

each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents, 

